


to say i love you

by chininiris



Series: yuriashe week 2020 [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Non-Graphic Smut, Post-Canon, Suggestive Themes, YuriAshe Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:02:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26426077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chininiris/pseuds/chininiris
Summary: Yuri smiles sleepily, blinking slowly. “Sorry for the wait. I had some things I had to work out with myself first.”Ashe shakes his head, cupping his face and leaning in for another languid kiss. He would’ve been happy by Yuri’s side even if it’d taken him another three years or ten to say the words, or even if he never said them at all, as long as Ashe knew how Yuri felt, as he does now.Listening to them brings him joy, though, so he’s glad he got to hear them.For YuriAshe Week. Day One: mirror/reflection/parallel &firsts
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc
Series: yuriashe week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1920853
Comments: 2
Kudos: 29
Collections: YURIASHE WEEK 2020





	to say i love you

**Author's Note:**

> This fic just tackles most of my favorite prompts to write at once, damn. Anyway- happy [Yuriashe Week](https://twitter.com/yuriasheweek), y'all!! I'm so excited for this, you have no idea! 
> 
> Title is from [for him.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDGC47F6k_4) by Troye Sivan. Enjoy!

Ashe is the first to say _I love you,_ which isn’t at all surprising considering the recipient of his affections. 

War has just ended, Fódlan as a whole letting out a collective sigh of relief as the dawn of a new era approaches. Dimitri and the professor work to better the wrongs, oftentimes locked in the advisor’s room with Seteth for help, planning courses of action to be taken, fractionating the knights to aid in far off areas, setting dates for a coronation and ceremonies alike. 

Ashe and the others help as much as they can, helping to rebuild, helping the wounded and the homeless and the orphans and the hungry. It will be a long way until all is well, but they move towards it collectively. 

Weeks later, Byleth now dons the archbishop headpiece and prepares to place the crown on Dimitri’s head. A crowd gathers in the cathedral to watch, Ashe remaining by his friends’ side, friends in arms, companions that walked with him through thick and thin, through snow and fields and the scorching hot ground of Ailell.

It isn’t hard for him to pick up on lavender hair in the crowd, as he’d spent the better part of the past months doing the same. He can’t see Yuri fully from here, but Balthus is more visible, and Ashe catches a glimpse of red and blonde hair standing close by. 

Ashe catches up with him just as the others have already disappeared into the tunnels leading down into Abyss, Yuri slowing down to a stop as if he’d been predicting it, or as if he’d felt Ashe’s stare all the way across the cathedral. A small feast is happening later in the afternoon just for the Blue Lion House, and Ashe knows for a fact that he and the others have been invited.

He also knows Yuri won’t show up for whatever reason.

Yuri turns as Ashe approaches, his smile playful and teasing as it always is when he’s about to poke fun at Ashe to see him squirm. “Has no one ever taught you that it’s rude to stare, sparrow?” 

Ashe only cracks a smile and chooses not to address that. “I’m returning to Gaspard after tonight. I don’t know when I’ll come back here.” 

Yuri presses his lips together, his smile now dim. Ashe knows, now, how to read his cues, his body language, knows how to pick up on the shifts of his mood. “I expected as much. Safe travels then, sparrow.” 

He knows it’s no use to ask Yuri to come with him. Yuri would never abandon his people, not for Ashe and maybe not for anyone else. And Ashe can’t afford to stay, not when his siblings are waiting for him, not when he wants to make the territory Lonato once cared for flourish again. 

There’s not much space between them here, hidden in the nook between two buildings, so it’s easy for Ashe to close the space between them, to wrap his arms around Yuri in a tight hug and linger for as long as he’s able. He wishes he could do more, but to step over that line without Yuri’s explicit consent sits wrong with him.

Yuri returns the gesture after a brief pause, gripping Ashe’s clothes just as tightly, and as Ashe presses his palm to the small of Yuri’s back and feels him shiver, he whispers three words into a clothed shoulder, lets them hang in the air as he pulls away and offers Yuri a rueful smile. 

“Take care,” is what he manages to say without his voice cracking, peeling himself away from Yuri but not walking away.

It takes some time, but Yuri finally nods as if breaking himself from a trance, eyes looking at anywhere but Ashe, and finally disappears into the tunnel after his friends. Only then does Ashe leave. 

  
  


Yuri is the first to reach out, which does surprise Ashe, he’ll admit. 

It’s been a couple of months since he’s been knighted by King Dimitri and appointed as the new head of House Gaspard. He’d never been formally prepared to take up that position, not when they’d been so sure Cristophe would be the one to succeed Lonato, and definitely not after his execution.

Governing a land isn’t easy, but Ashe does what he can to the best of his abilities, reaching out for advice when he deems needed and always striving for a better future. There are hitches along the way, as is expected of a post war scenario, but reconstruction goes well enough. Smoother when compared to Fraldarius and Gautier territory, the two houses that resisted Cornelia for longer, if only because Count Rowe had annexed Gaspard to his territory and sided with the Empire, avoiding most of the destruction.

Ashe helps as much outside as he does handle paperwork and finances inside Castle Gaspard. He’d never been great at math, but his sister is, and both his siblings aid him day in and out in their joint effort to rebuild their home. 

It’s after a long day of work that his brother delivers him a letter with no sender, just a plain envelope with mysterious contents. Ashe sets it aside to be dealt with later in favor of enjoying an evening meal with his siblings in the quietness of their home, each going to their bedrooms after sharing the contents of a teapot once dinner is over.

Ashe bathes and before he retires for bed, he remembers the letter in the pocket of his coat. He breaks the seal, just as nondescript as the rest of the ensemble, and unfolds the letter as he sits on the edge of his mattress to read under the candlelight, unveiling a cursive font that suits a lord. It’s unfamiliar to him, with slight slanted, looping characters, but it doesn’t take him too long to figure out who it is from. 

Not when it begins with _dear sparrow._

Smiling to himself, Ashe slips under the covers, reclining on his pillow as he reads the letter once, twice, three times, and by the fourth he’s just tracing the words like a lovelorn fool. 

He’s glad to know that things in Abyss are looking up now that Byleth is the new archbishop, directing part of the church’s funds to make the underground town a better place to live. And maybe he’s selfish, because he’s happier that Yuri hasn’t forgotten him and took the first step to reach out. It makes hope flicker in his chest like a candle that refuses to be snuffed out in the harsh winter winds.

Ashe returns the letter to the envelope and safely places it in the drawer of his bedside table, making a mental note to write a reply in the morning.

  
  


The first time they reunite after Dimitri’s coronation is in Gaspard.

Earlier that month, Ashe received a letter from Seteth to notify him that the Church would be sending a representative to settle some matters that had been previously touched upon, before the class separated ways to tend to their territories under the reign of a newly coronated king. 

Ashe prepared for this meeting as best as he could, getting as much paperwork out of the way so he wouldn’t have to worry about it piling up in the few days he’d spend with the representative.

When the day of the arrival comes, he has one of the guest rooms prepared and more tea stocked in the pantry. He goes about his morning routine, with only slight nerves added to the mix, getting a bit of training before dawn to keep in shape, and reading a few pages of his favorite book before retreating to his study, formerly Lonato’s, to busy himself with some more work until he’s called. 

His brother pays him a visit when the sun is nearing its peak in the sky, bringing news that the representative has arrived. Ashe smooths out the front of his coat and steels himself as he walks outside with his brother, wondering who it is that Seteth sent. Both he and Byleth have been too busy with reforming the Church, restoring Fódlan, aiding those in need and an endless list of other tasks, to be able to visit personally. 

The question is answered when he spots lavender hair outside, shining under the bright sun. His heart does a little skip, and Ashe instantly regrets foregoing his gloves.

“Yuri?” He calls, climbing down the stone steps to meet him in the courtyard. “What a surprise! Did Her Grace send you?”

Yuri looks away from the group of people he’d been watching, Alice among them as she checks supplies on a list, to meet Ashe’s gaze. “Hello, sparrow. She did. Said I’d be of more help for having lived in the kingdom and all.” 

“I suppose she’s not wrong.” Ashe offers him a wane smile, feeling strangely jittery. He hadn’t been all that prepared to discuss matters with a stranger, but he’s even less prepared when it comes to Yuri. Ashe can't help the slight clamminess of his palms or the tingle he gets in his arms, or the way his heart flutters in his presence. How is he supposed to work with Yuri like this?

Clearing his throat, he does his best to pull himself together and be a model host that would make Lonato proud. “Please, let’s go inside. Can I offer you some tea?” 

  
  


The first time Yuri kisses Ashe happens on the last night of his stay in Gaspard.

Despite the fluttering of his heart whenever Yuri is close, which is often, Ashe enjoys the time spent together. It feels good to reunite with a friend, even if it's just for politics; Ashe knows it will be a long while until the Blue Lion House can assemble once more to catch up casually.

Working with Yuri actually went well. The air around them was light, and Yuri had a lot of advice and ideas to give, having more experience with leading people than Ashe has ever had. They took tea breaks and recalled fond moments, and they walked around town to see how repairs were going. The fields have been recuperated enough that they can start to tentatively harvest food for the winter, and farmers were burying seeds into the earth when they walked past.

On the last night, they're in a sitting room where Lonato used to have tea with guests, and Ashe decides to honor the tradition. He wonders if Yuri remembers, as he'd been here before with Count Rowe. Alice and Alec have already gone to bed, as should Ashe, being the early riser that he is, but he doesn't want the time spent in Yuri's company to end.

The sweet tea was traded for something stronger, richer, a brew that Yuri picked up in a town along the way and saved for the last night as a parting gesture. It burns down Ashe’s throat, but it leaves him feeling warm, relaxed, and he has no doubts that he will fall asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. 

It’s nice to just sit and talk with Yuri, the fire in the hearth casting a warm glow to his smile, his eyes. Ashe rests his chin on his hand and watches as Yuri talks about the changes in Abyss, a slight flush to his cheeks, the collar of his shirt undone and revealing the elegant curve of his neck. 

Ashe blinks slowly when he notices Yuri has stopped talking, not realizing he was caught staring until Yuri stands from the loveseat to approach his armchair. 

Swallowing, Ashe grips the goblet tighter, tilting his head up to look at Yuri, who’s now perched on the arm, precariously balanced as he turns and leans into Ashe’s space. There's a moment of stillness as his face draws close and their eyes meet, a question and an answer being traded wordlessly, before Yuri slants their lips together with a small sigh.

Ashe has been kissed before, but never with this much care and experience. But then again, this kiss could be a total disaster compared to his meager past experiences and it’d still be the best one, because it’s _Yuri_ and that’s all Ashe cares about. 

Yuri’s lips are warm, slick from the drink they shared, moving so slow and hungry that it makes Ashe feel light headed, his blood buzzing, his heart galloping as fast as his horse. It’s not the most comfortable of positions, but Ashe can’t bring himself to part and try to arrange them in a way that’s less likely to leave Yuri with a crick in his neck, not when there’s the possibility that Yuri might not kiss him again.

He doesn’t have to worry about that, though, for soon Yuri slides off the arm of the chair and straight into his lap, sitting sideways on his thighs. Yuri pulls away, eyes lidded and heavy, and takes the goblet from Ashe’s hand, gulping the rest of its contents in one go before leaning backwards to place it on the table. Ashe follows, hands on his waist to provide balance, gaze locked with Yuri’s, already missing the feel of his mouth on his.

The wait isn’t long, but every second spent apart leaves Ashe burning hotter. Yuri weaves his fingers in Ashe’s hair and claims his lips once more, and the night goes on and on.

In the morning, Ashe doesn’t feel too rested. They eventually parted ways, but he’d been too wound up and nervous to get much sleep, tossing and turning until it was time to get up and continue with his day. Not many words were exchanged after the kissing began, and he feels rather uncertain about where they stand.

They have breakfast together before Yuri’s departure, with Ashe doing his best to make his smile convincing, but while his siblings may be fooled, he catches the way Yuri narrows his eyes at him.

One last kiss is stolen when Ashe is accompanying him outside, with Yuri cornering him in the hallway and robbing him of the air in his lungs with a forceful kiss that makes his knees weak. Yuri whispers parting words before pulling away, leaving the castle and mounting his horse.

Ashe watches him go, waving, wondering what this means for them.

  
  


The first time Ashe kisses Yuri is also the same time they spend the night together.

Lady Byleth summons him to Garreg Mach and Ashe promptly finds himself on the road, leaving his two siblings to manage Gaspard territory in the days of his absence. He has complete faith in their capabilities, the three of them having learned together how to administer the land over the course of the months. 

She smiles at him and pours him tea, and for a while, Ashe is pleasantly talking with his former professor and her advisor, updating them on the situation back home, the improvements done and issues he’s had. 

When he’s shared all that he could say, Byleth puts down her teacup and, without preamble, reveals to him that she had been reached out by Petra, now Queen of Brigid, requesting his aid in establishing the nation’s first order of knights. 

During the time they studied and worked together, Ashe got to befriend Petra, so to have her asking for his help leaves him very, very flattered. Becoming a knight had been his dream for most of his life, and it will be an honor to pass on what he learned and help create the first order of knights of Brigid. 

He’s eager to readily accept and go, help Petra and see the place she loves so much with his own eyes, but there’s an issue: “What about Gaspard?” 

Byleth smiles at him from behind the rim of her cup. “I got it covered.” 

Ashe leaves the meeting room at sundown with instructions on how to reach the port in Hevring territory and an expected date of arrival at Brigid, and is given one of the guest rooms in the Monastery to stay overnight and rest. He feels giddy at the opportunity to visit Brigid, though he isn’t fond of the idea of leaving his siblings behind to look after Gaspard for too long. And neither Byleth or Seteth ever answered who would be overseeing things. He can only hope it will be someone of trust. 

A knock on his door disrupts his thoughts. Seteth mentioned he’d ask someone to bring Ashe dinner as soon as possible, and while the person is indeed bringing him dinner, they're not a servant at all. 

“Yuri?” Ashe’s heart skips a beat, or maybe two, and he steps aside to open the door wider and let him in. “It’s nice to see you again.” 

They’ve been exchanging letters, many of them, during these past months, which Ashe is grateful for. He doesn't know how to label their relationship just yet, but it must mean something that Yuri is keeping in touch with him, right? He’d said himself that he liked Ashe once, and he doesn’t think Yuri would lead him on only to hurt his feelings later, especially after he’d confessed so long ago.

Yuri sets the tray on the small table by the windows, leaving the food covered to keep warm. “I heard you’re going to Brigid,” he says in lieu of a greeting, leaning back against the windowsill. “You really got the Queen’s attention, didn’t you?” 

Ashe’s cheeks color slightly, recalling all the times Sylvain teased him for that very reason. No amount of saying that they were only friends seemed to suffice. “I guess? She did mention that she would establish an order of knights for me, once.” And that he’d be her guardian knight, and that they would dive into the ocean, gaze up at the sky from underneath the waves together.

...In hindsight, that does sound romantic, but they don’t have romantic feelings for each other. Or at least, Ashe doesn’t like her romantically. 

Maybe he could, in some lifetime where Yuri didn’t exist and he wasn’t so helplessly in love with him.

Yuri stays quiet, uncharacteristically staring down at his feet. Ashe observes his body language, the slight downward pull of his lips, the tension in his shoulders, the tapping of his finger on his forearm.

Is he... Jealous, by any chance? 

That notion is difficult to accept. Yuri? Jealous of him? If anything, Ashe should be the one feeling jealous with how people would literally fight to have his hand. On most days, it’s hard to believe they’re lovers of some kind, if one could even call their relationship that. 

He takes a tentative step forward, and another and another, slowly crossing the distance between them. Yuri looks up when Ashe places his hands on his arms, giving them a gentle squeeze, tilting his chin up in a silent invitation that Ashe promptly accepts. The kiss is chaste, soft and gentle, and Yuri relaxes under his palms. 

“Do you want to stay tonight?” Ashe offers, pulling back just enough to look into his eyes, which widen slightly then quickly close, pink spreading across Yuri’s cheeks.

“Why, sparrow, aren’t you being a bit too forward?” Yuri opens his eyes to look at him from under his thick lashes. “At least buy me dinner first.”

Ashe’s face reddens fiercely, sputtering as Yuri’s chuckles get louder. “That’s not what I-” He presses his lips together, ducking his head and resting his forehead on Yuri’s shoulder. “I just... I missed you.” 

Yuri’s laugh subsides and he runs his fingers through Ashe’s hair gently. He doesn’t say he missed Ashe too, but he does say, “I’d like that, yes.” 

That evening, Ashe shares his dinner with Yuri, and his bed, though he feels nervous and embarrassed for every second spent lying on his side and looking at Yuri until one of them falls asleep. 

In the morning, when he finds they have gravitated closer and Yuri is sleeping tucked into his side, getting up to leave is all the more harder.

  
  


The first time Yuri admits he missed Ashe is the same time they _sleep_ together, one and a half years later.

Ashe returns to Fódlan with a considerable tan after too many sunburns, and an unappealing tan mark left behind the clothes he’d worn in Brigid. The archipelago lives up to all of Petra’s stories and more, and he got to witness all the natural beauties that she had so fondly described.

He taught the trainees all that he could about chivalry, duty, and every little thing that entails being a knight. He trained with them, learned the traditional Brigid fighting style and taught them some of the many techniques he learned over the years.

He also spent time with Petra, swam in the ocean and looked at the sun from beneath the waves, went sailing and _actually learned_ how to sail, though he still paled in comparison to her and everyone else.

It was fun, he had a good time, but he had no more to teach and couldn’t leave his siblings back in Gaspard forever by themselves, so Ashe packed his things and boarded a ship back to Hreving territory, back to Fódlan, his home.

Ashe stops by the Monastery to give Lady Byleth and Seteth a full report in person, reveling in their praise of a job well done and being offered another room for the night. He leaves his bags there and goes out to take a scroll, looking for a familiar passageway that leads underground. The Abysskeeper is familiar with him and doesn’t give him a hard time when Ashe arrives, merely nodding his head and letting him begin his search.

The first place he looks is the Wilting Rose Inn, but a glimpse inside reveals only Balthus laughing boisterously with a bunch of rogues. Down another street he spots Constance and Hapi, and by now Ashe knows better than to interrupt them when they are alone.

He continues to the old classroom where he finally finds Yuri, looking over a few papers on a table in the back. Ashe knocks on the door to announce his arrival, smiling slightly when lavender eyes widen in surprise and Yuri ungracefully scrambles to stand. 

“A- Sparrow. Back already?” 

Already? It’s been eighteen moons! Is it possible that Yuri truly didn’t feel the passage of time? Ashe certainly did, especially when he had no letters from him or anyone in Fódlan to look forward to.

Instead of voicing any of that, he merely clears his throat to ease off some of the discomfort. “Yes, I just arrived. I’ll be heading back to Gaspard in the morning.”

“I see.” Yuri picks up his papers, tucking them neatly under his arm. “How about we have some tea before you leave? Or something stronger?” 

Ashe agrees, silently following him through the dimly lit streets of Abyss. In Yuri’s bedroom, he feels awkward and out of his element, watching as Yuri deposits the papers inside a drawer before turning to contemplate whether to brew tea or open one of the bottles on the shelf. His movements are stiff as he reaches for one of them, fingers fumbling to catch it. It’s uncharacteristic of him; Yuri is always moves so elegantly and fluidly, his hands are always so steady.

Yuri pauses when he turns around and their eyes meet, and Ashe sees in his gaze the same clouds that are in his mind. The uncertainty, the nervousness, the _longing_ . Yuri looks down at the bottle, a pensive frown on his face, and Ashe can pinpoint the moment when he goes _screw it!_ and throws caution to the wind. 

In a mirror of that last time in Gaspard, Yuri is upon him again, walking Ashe backwards until he has him trapped against the wall. Ashe promptly holds onto his waist, his hip, and returns every hungry stroke, every needy sound he didn’t know Yuri could make. It’s intoxicating, it makes his head spin and fire spread in his gut, burning hotter than the flames in Ailell. 

Yuri works on the collar of Ashe’s outfit, loosening it to reveal his neck and planting his lips on the warm skin. “I missed you,” he whispers, breathless, placing open mouthed kisses over Ashe’s erratic pulse. “I missed you so much.” 

Ashe repeats the words, or at least he tries to, but it’s difficult to form any coherent thought when Yuri is touching him like this. It’s all a blur of heated kisses and touches, and soon he finds himself in Yuri’s bed, the man hovering over him, their clothes strewn about on the floor. His skin feels ablaze, his insides molten, and Yuri promises to take care of him, dipping two slick fingers down low and working him open. 

Later, Yuri will lie tucked into his side once more, head resting on Ashe’s chest as he gives it small pecks and laces their fingers together, sated and content, reunited once again.

“Are you going back?” Yuri asks quietly, his finger tracing patterns on Ashe’s chest.

Ashe makes sure to hold him tighter as he replies. “No, my place is here in Fódlan with my siblings and...” _You_ , he wants to say, but he doesn’t need to. Yuri understands. 

  
  


The first time Yuri says _I love you_ happens in Gaspard, nearly three years after Ashe’s own confession. 

The Officer’s Academy has been reopened. It no longer sends the students to deal with the Church’s business, but it still teaches them how to fight, among other new topics. Thankfully, there hasn’t been a rebellion in a long time, the last one having happened moons ago when a few of the Empire sympathizers raised their blades against the new reign. Ashe hadn’t been there to deal with it this time, but he heard they managed to resolve it with few casualties. 

Alec and Alice are invited by the Archbishop herself to attend the reformed Officer’s Academy, and Ashe happily frees some time in his schedule to accompany them to the Monastery. They have been curious about it for years, having listened to all of Ashe’s stories and descriptions. He can tell Alice will enjoy the training grounds, and that Alec will lose track of time in the library.

Off they go, waving goodbye and disappearing into the main hall, and Ashe lingers around until he finds who he’s been waiting for. Yuri shows up with some of his belongings, a smile spreading on his face as soon as he spots Ashe by the entrance. 

They go back to Gaspard together, enjoying both the trip and each other’s company, staying overnight in inns where Yuri will sometimes get impatient, but Ashe is too mindful of the other guests to take things further. All of Yuri’s wandering touches serve to leave him pent up with frustration, which Ashe suspects is his intention all along. 

As soon as they’re in his room back in Castle Gaspard, Yuri is upon him, kissing with hunger and intent, barely giving Ashe the time to catch his breath between one kiss and the next. The longer the time spent apart, the more fervent the reunion is, and Ashe is honestly fine with it.

He lets Yuri take the lead, lets him push Ashe towards the bed and straddle his lap once he's down, skin hot under his palms. Ashe gets to work him open, taking his time to do it right even when Yuri actually begs to do it faster, hair already disheveled, nipping and pinching Ashe in places as his own form of retaliation.

It's when Yuri is sunk around him, rocking his hips with his head thrown back, that Ashe hears it for the first time, eyes widening as he watches his lover.

The words come in between panted breaths and gasps, repeated over and over as Yuri guides them both to their peaks. Ashe tightens his hands around his hips and thrusts up to meet every rocking motion, dazed and light headed.

“I love you,” Yuri says again, breathless and low, and he would say it again if his own climax hadn’t cut him off. 

Ashe pulls him into his arms as they catch their breaths. Yuri is warm and sated, boneless as he lies on top of Ashe, resting his cheek on his shoulder and enjoying the embrace as Ashe combs his fingers through lavender strands damp with sweat.

“I love you,” Ashe repeats for the first time in years, breaking the quietness of the bedroom, only the crackling of the fire in the hearth filling it for the past minute. 

Yuri shifts on top of him and moves to the mattress, laying on his side to look at him. His hand remains on Ashe’s waist, thumb rubbing circles into an old scar there that he gained at some point during the war. “And I, you,” he replies quietly, tangling his legs with Ashe’s. “It’s hard not to when you’re so endearing.” 

Ashe watches him for a moment, taking in his features illuminated by the glow of the fire, the eyelids struggling to stay open after a long day on the road. Yuri smiles sleepily, blinking slowly. “Sorry for the wait. I had some things I had to work out with myself first.” 

Ashe shakes his head, cupping his face and leaning in for another languid kiss. He would’ve been happy by Yuri’s side even if it’d taken him another three years or ten to say the words, or even if he never said them at all, as long as Ashe knew how Yuri felt, as he does now.

Listening to them brings him joy, though, so he’s glad he got to hear them.

  
  


The first time Ashe thinks of proposing, the idea comes to him out of the blue.

He’s looking through keepsakes from his parents, kept in a box that his siblings protected through every moment of their lives, through all the years when Ashe was away. There’s not much of value here; most valuables were sold at some point or another when he was trying to provide to his siblings through honorable means, but he still kept a few items because of their sentimental value.

Alice has taken to wearing their mother’s necklace, a thin silver chair with a lone teardrop gem for a pendant, green like her eyes had been. Alec carries their wedding rings on a chain around his neck, the smooth bands simple and made of silver.

Ashe himself never wore or carried around anything that once belonged to them, afraid that it could get lost in the academy, and lost or stolen in the war. He’s not looking through the small box in search of anything in particular for himself; it’s just one of those days when he misses them too much even after so many years, and he likes to look through the contents to recall fond memories.

The small notepad of family recipes, hairpins his mother used to pin pale blonde locks away from her face, an old wristwatch his father inherited that no longer works, a handkerchief, a scarf. 

He pushes those aside, uncovering a ring that rests at the bottom of the box. Ashe picks it up, turning it this way and that under the sunlight streaming through the windows and watching as it catches on the small gem, a pink so light it’s almost clear. He remembers this; his father purchased it to celebrate their wedding anniversary, back when Ashe was five and his siblings were barely toddlers. 

Putting the box down, Ashe tries to put it on his ring finger, but it gets stuck on the second knuckle. That is to be expected, he thinks, now slipping his pinky finger into the ring. His mother’s fingers were thin and long, graceful, but still skilled enough that she could cut vegetables for their restaurant at an incredible speed.

Like Yuri’s.

Ashe contemplates the ring with narrowed eyes, an idea blooming in his head.

  
  


The first, and only, time Ashe proposes is some weeks later, when he’s visiting Yuri in Abyss and convinces him to have dinner in a restaurant in the town nearby. 

Ashe considered many different romantic scenarios for the proposal, and came to the conclusion that Yuri would be more inclined to like a private proposal than a public one, simple but meaningful. So Ashe starts by picking out a good place to have dinner together, choosing a restaurant that serves good food but isn’t overly fancy so they both won’t feel out of place. 

Yuri doesn’t seem to suspect anything, bumping his feet with Ashe’s under the table and sipping on some of the sweet wine Ashe ordered as they wait for their meal. It's just as Ashe had predicted it would be, the flavorful pheasant roasted golden with a side of beautiful, colorful vegetables and roasted, buttery potatoes. He offers to buy Yuri dessert, an expensive chocolate concoction that is worth every gold piece because of the smile it puts on his lover’s face as he eats it.

Ashe can't get away with paying the bill himself, though. Yuri won't let him, no matter how much Ashe insists that it's no problem, that Yuri doesn't need to try and make them even. He rolls with it, confident that he can make up for it at a later date with more sweets, and together they return to the Monastery.

At some point during the war, Ignatz mentioned to him a location where one could get a beautiful view of the town at sunset, and that’s where Ashe takes Yuri next, to a secluded grassy spot where they both sit down to relax, talk and watch the sun sink below the line of the horizon. The town glows a warm hue; yellow, orange, purple and shades in between coloring the sky. Yuri lies down on the grass as the first stars blink into existence, and Ashe finishes weaving a windflower crown, setting it aside to be placed on top of lavender hair later.

He leans over Yuri’s form, hands trembling with nerves as the ring seems to burn a hole through the inner pocket of his coat. Yuri's smile diminishes when he catches the frown on Ashe’s face, lifting a hand to gently trace his fingers on the pinch between grey brows. 

Ashe had prepared words for this, carefully thought them out, wrote them over and over again, and practiced far too many times in front of the mirror in his bedroom back in Gaspard. But as he’d expected, they get stuck in his throat, and he fumbles to form any coherent thought at all under Yuri’s observant gaze, his face glowing gold under the setting sun. 

He manages to get the ring out, somehow, nearly dropping it on the grass. Yuri’s eyes widen as he looks at the gem sparkling in the light, the silver band caught delicately between Ashe’s quivering fingers. 

Yuri says yes.

  
  


The first time Ashe can call Yuri his husband is a few months down the line.

Yuri wanted a private ceremony just the two of them, but Ashe thought it would be nice to have their friends around. In the end, they settle for inviting the original Blue Lions and the Ashen Wolves, along with their immediate family, to a small ceremony held in Castle Gaspard. 

Annette and Mercedes get really into it, decorating the courtyard with ribbons and bows while Sylvain and Dedue line the chairs to make a small aisle on the grass. Despite the bright sunlight, Felix and Ingrid light some candles and place them around the improvised altar, which is just an empty space with a small table covered in white cloth and a simple flower arrangement in a vase. The flowers in the garden are in full bloom at this time of the year, lending their natural beauty to the event.

It's not grand as if they were marrying in the cathedral of Garreg Mach, but Ashe honestly would be content with trading vows with Yuri in a room in Abyss, or a random inn in the kingdom, or a cave, or even in the heat of battle; anywhere, as long as it's Yuri. 

Their clothes aren't fancy, but they're new and picked for the occasion. Ashe has sprigs of violet tucked into the pocket of his shirt, which Dimitri thought would look good, as he waits for his fiancé at the altar.

Flayn is plucking at harp strings when Yuri comes with no flower bouquet in hand, but he has flowers in his hair, braided by Constance and decorated with white blooms picked by Hapi. If Ashe tears up at the sight of him, he's glad to know he's not the only one getting emotional in the ceremony, as he can dimly hear someone sniffling in the small crowd. But nothing matters now aside from Yuri, who's finally standing in front of him, taking his hands.

"Crying already, sparrow?" He murmurs playfully, his own eyes a bit too bright, and Ashe laughs breathlessly as he wipes at his eyes with his hands.

Behind the table, Byleth fondly smiles at them and officiates the wedding. The role of archbishop may have come as a surprise, but she's good at it, thanks to all of Seteth's guidance.

"You may kiss the groom," she says at last, and Ashe squeezes Yuri's hands as he steps closer.

Sylvain is the first to whistle, starting a wave of loud cheers. Ashe blocks them out, smiling brightly as he cups Yuri's flushed cheeks and pulls him in for a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to thank both [Carl](https://twitter.com/ms_millennium) and [Mari](https://twitter.com/Tactician_girl), my two best pals who kept me motivated, offered help when I needed, and made me laugh with their shitposts during the creation of all my pieces for this week. I love both of you and couldn't have done half of this without your support 💗 now you're both in yuriashe hell with me 🥺
> 
> | [yuriashe playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0OfM6V57iDzm6EU5URAXdC?si=-1h-RuptSsCWP9RvIpmO9g) | [tumblr](https://chininiris.tumblr.com/) | [twitter](https://twitter.com/chininiris) | [carrd](https://chininiris.carrd.com/) |


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